Description

Realm of the Mad God is a free-to-play fantasy MMORPG in a retro 8-bit style. It has a large world where thousands of players can fight monsters, acquire loot and improve their abilities. There is a focus on cooperative play to take on the harder challenges. This is either done through temporary alliances or more permanently through a guild. First developed as a prototype for the TIGSource Assemblee competition in 2010, it was later turned into a full game. Much of the game can be played freely, but it also supports a microtransfer system where real money can be exchanged for non-tradable in-game gold. Players start with 100 gold by default and additional gold is used to acquire dungeon keys, pets, elixirs, dyes and clothes.

The Nexus is the main town area. It's the place where players change their name or character, access a vault to permanently store up items, or visit a guild hall and shops. By earning 1,000 fame a new guild can be started. Fame is acquired through surviving a certain amount of time and is awarded with a star for that class on the selection screen. Items can be bought from shopkeepers, but it is not possible to sell to them. A realm portal leads to the actual game world where various challenges need to be completed to find Oryx, the realm's god. Other players are always visible when they are nearby. It is possible to chat and teleport towards them.

The action is fast as players move around and attack through ranged weapons while they defend through dodging. Movement is done through the keyboard while the mouse is used for aiming. Since characters almost constantly attack due to the high-paced nature, autofire can be enabled. Each class (Rogue, Archer, Wizard, Priest, Warrior, Knight, Paladin, Assassin, Necromancer, Huntress, Mystic, Trickster or Sorceress) has different statistics and a special ability. Classes are unlocked gradually. Each character has a health and magic bar that slowly regenerate. Defeated enemies leave behind potions or items that are equipped in one of the four available slots: primary weapon, secondary weapon (consumes magic), outfit, and a ring. Items can be traded with other players. While fighting, new quests appear through an icon at the side of the screen towards the general direction. There is also a mini-map with a fog-of-war mechanism.

The level limit is 20, though it can be extended through certain potions. Death is permanent in the game. When a character dies, a new one needs to be made but leveling goes very quickly. Additional character slots can be bought in exchange for gold. Every time Oryx is defeated, he destroys the main game world and creates another with a randomized pattern. Oryx cannot run out of minions, but when he runs out of quests before he is defeated, all remaining players are called into a large, separate room for a final showdown. There is no player-versus-player combat in the game.